296 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
and dog, but no step has been made to check the destructive work of 
the feathered foes of our helpful birds. Iowa laws allow these birds to 
be killed by any random hunter, but no attempt has been made to exter- 
minate them. A small bounty would work wonders in this situation and 
our helpful birds would soon be rid of their harmful feathered foes. 
The two birds most dangerous to the welfare of our seed and insect 
eaters are the great horned owl and the crow. Other birds frowned ou 
and much despised by naturalists seem to be the English sparrow and 
the blue jay. 
Concerning the great horned owl let me quote from N. Blenchan in 
“ Birds that hunt and are hunted.” 
“The horned owl should be extermintaed for it does much harm. 
Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons on the farm will be decapi- 
tated if too large to eat entire, for the brains of the victims are the 
choice bits that this executioner delights in. Coops and dove cots are 
boldly entered, entire coveys of Bob Whites destroyed, grouse, wood-cock, 
water fowl and snipe know no more relentless enemy. Song birds do 
not escape this stealthy murderer that picks them from the perch as 
they sleep, and all the rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits and other mammals 
eaten can not off-set the valuable birds destroyed.” 
Here then is one bird that is hindering the good work of our helpful 
' birds and we owe it to ourselves to become active at once. 
Of all the thieves among our birds I believe the crow holds first rank. 
Did he do no more than to steal the seed corn the farmer has just planted, 
we might forgive him, for he is a wise bird, in fact much more so than 
the owl. But when added to this evil he persists in the habit of carrying 
eggs from hen’s nests and later on even grabbing young chickens, his 
smartness becomes a nuisance. But even this is not the whole of his 
work, and I imagine most men have known him to do much more. If 
he takes hen eggs and very young chicks it stands to reason that bird 
eggs and young birds are also his legitimate prey, and such is the case, 
many times have I seen three or four little birds pursuing or driving 
off this destroyer. Granted that the crow eats some seeds, or some in- 
sects and feeds on carrion, he is an enemy of our helpful birds and should 
meet the same end’ as the great horned owl. Blue jays are a pest to our 
good birds for much the same reason as the crow. 
One argument set forth as to why the English sparrow should be 
exterminated is that they are crowding out our native birds. Since such 
is the case some step towards wiping them out is needed. 
